HRC Back Story

In another step forward for equality, Lawrence Webb was elected to the Falls Church City Council this week, becoming the first openly gay African American elected in Virginia. Webb, whose candidacy was supported by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, currently serves as assistant dean of admissions at the University of Mary Washington.

After winning his seat to the Falls Church City Council with 1,217 votes in his first bid for elected office, Webb said:

I am grateful that the citizens of Falls Church have entrusted me with the responsibility to help guide the direction of our city’s future, and I thank them. I look forward to working with Council to make Falls Church an even better city than it is now.

I also hope my election opens the door for others to get involved in public service. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or black or both. What matters is your dedication to building a better community, and your willingness to work hard at it. I’m glad the people of Falls Church agree. I also want to thank the Victory Fund and its staff and donors. They were dedicated to this campaign from the beginning, and they worked very hard to help us win.

The National Black Justice Coalition released this statement today:

"We here at NBJC are very excited about the election of Lawrence to the Falls Church City Council.  His victory is a clear validation of the hard work Lawrence has done all over the state of Virginia and in his community," said NBJC Executive Director, H. Alexander Robinson. "We look forward to working with and supporting Councilman Webb."